trochaic

T1R1O1C3H4A1I1C3
UK/tɹoʊˈkeɪ.ɪk/US/tɹəˈkeɪ.ɪk/

adjective

Composed of or relating to trochees, feet of one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.

OriginFrench trochaïque ← Latin trochaicus ← Ancient Greek τροχαικός →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

adjectivetrochaic (not comparable)

alternative abbreviation troch. · alternative obsolete trochaick

  1. not comparableComposed of or relating to trochees, feet of one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.

    Therefore, in precisely these languages a mechanism could be maintained which preserves the contrast between stressed and unstressed syllables in the trochaic word structure pattern (see 42.3.1) by weakening the onset of a longer or weightier unstressed syllable.

    2022, Marianne Bakró-Nagy, “Consonant gradation”, in Marianne Bakró-Nagy, Johanna Laakso, Elena Skribnik, editors, The Oxford Guide to the Uralic Languages, Oxford University Press, →DOI, →ISBN, page 861
nountrochaic (plural trochaics)

plural trochaics · alternative abbreviation troch. · alternative obsolete trochaick

  1. communicationsA poetical composition of this kind.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekτροχαικός
  2. Latintrochaicus
  3. Frenchtrochaïque
  4. Englishtrochaic

Either via the French trochaïque or directly from its etymon, the Latin trochaicus, from the Ancient Greek τροχαικός (trokhaikós), from τροχαῖος (trokhaîos), whence trochee.

More words from French, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish trokæisk
  • trokæiskreferring to poetry composed of trochees
Dutch trocheïsch
  • trocheïschreferring to poetry composed of trochees
Finnish trokeinen
  • trokeinenreferring to poetry composed of trochees
French trochaïque
  • trochaïquereferring to poetry composed of trochees
German trochäisch
  • trochäischreferring to poetry composed of trochees
Greek τροχαϊκός
  • τροχαϊκός (trochaïkós)referring to poetry composed of trochees
Hungarian trochaikus
  • trochaikusreferring to poetry composed of trochees
Russian трохеи́ческий
  • трохеи́ческий (troxeíčeskij)referring to poetry composed of trochees
Swedish trokeisk
  • trokeiskreferring to poetry composed of trochees

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

thoracicTocharic
Cite this entry
APA

trochaic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trochaic

MLA

“trochaic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trochaic. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trochaic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trochaic.

Source: trochaic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.